Weightless
by Namidaga Ochiru
Summary: When she was alone, the weight of a thousand burdens held her down. But he was the only one that could make her weightless.
1. Prologue

_Ne, it's me again! I am so sorry for keeping you waiting so long... I hate illnesses. Especially the ones that keep me out of school for three weeks. Bleh. ...anyway, I give you my newest FanFiction, Weightless!_

Summary: SasuSaku, NaruHina, NejiTen, ShikaIno, SuiKarin, SasoriAmi

When she was on her own, the weight of a thousand burdens pinned her spirit. But he was the only one who could make her feel weightless.

Prologue

**_*Normal POV/Flashback*_**

**_"Hina-chan, don't stutter. As the legitimate princesses, we have to be examples for Karin-chan and Ami-chan. Ino-chan, no more tissues for you. You don't use them right." The pink-haired girl paused, her eyes straying to the other girl. "Tennie, I know you like wearing your hair up. But you should let some of it down for this... it's a special occasion." She smiled softly at all three girls, taking the sting out of her words. Turning to the younger girls behind her, she cooed over them, petting Karin's red hair and exclaiming over Ami's kawaii dress._**

**_"S-Sakura-chan, you s-should fix your dress and h-hair... It got messed up." Hinata's soft, sweet voice pierced Sakura's dreamlike state. Indeed, Sakura's dress straps had slid off her shoulders, and her long hair was messy and unpinned._**

**_"Hina-chan, thank you! Can you help me, please?" Hinata blushed and bowed slightly, but Karin stepped up with Ami trailing her and fixed her dress. Ino and Tenten nudged Hinata, and they fixed her hair again. Soon, Sakura's hair was, once again, hanging in ringlets around her face as her longer hair was pinned up and out of the way. "Thank you, Hina-chan, Ino-chan, Tennie, Karin-chan, Ami-chan. You're all my sisters... I love you."_**

**_Anko walked into the room in a rustle of red skirts, her hair up in its familiar ponytail, her forehead band, marking her position in the Konoha Kingdom, in place. Her grey eyes appraised the children, affectionately taking in everything about them. She nodded at the legitimate princesses, and then fussed over the illegitimate princesses, Karin and Ami. Karin's hair was soon straighter than before, framing her face in a delicate, cute manner. Ami's silver dress soon was correctly positioned, setting off her purple hair and eyes._**

**_"Look at you all, my beautiful little princesses. You're all going to your very first ball! How has this day come so fast?" Smiling benevolently, Anko led them to the set of double doors that led into the giant ballroom. Exquisite music leaked out from under the door, and the sounds of conversation and laughter indicated that people were already there. "Remember, my dear ones, you're here not only to dance, but, as the legitimate and illegitimate princesses, you must honor yourselves by finding the person you will spend the rest of your lives with. The first step to doing that is... dancing!" Without further ado, Anko pushed the gilded doors open to reveal a world of light._**

**_When their eyes finally adjusted to the brilliant light shining from the chandelier hanging from the center of the ballroom's ceiling, everyone except Anko gasped. The ballroom was possibly the most extravagant room the little princesses had ever seen, apart from the throne room. Royal blue gilding chased swirls of silver and gold across the edges of the ceiling and down the walls. The domed ceiling had silver architecture, complete with a delicately carved ring of water lilies circling the room as well as the base of the chandelier._**

**_The thing that caught all their eyes more, however, were the princes that entered from the opposite doorway with a fairly tall, blonde boy. Ino started bouncing in excitement when she saw the princes and their guide, but with a knowing look from Sakura, she stopped and blushed. "It's not my fault that my Niisama is the guide!" She started to mutter, but Anko's hand on her head stopped her._**  
**_"Princesses do not mutter. They say whatever they wish so the world knows their confidence. Mice whisper. Princesses speak." Stepping out gracefully, Anko, but 16 years old, led the princesses through the laughing crowd, heads held high, and met the princes in the center._**

**_"I take it you are Deidara, brother of our own Ino-hime?" The blonde bowed his head and cast a warm, respectful gaze on his sister. "You are leading the princes here." Anko did not mean it as a question. Yet Deidara nodded again, his eyes on Anko. "I bring the four legitimate princesses and the two illegitimate. Who do you bring to meet these six lovely flowers?"_**

**_"I bring the four legitimate princes, and the two illegitimates. They will attend this ball and choose who they will spend their life with over the next six years." Deidara halted, ushering four boys forward. "Sasuke, Shikamaru, Neji, and Naruto are our legitimate princes. Sasori and Suigetsu are the illegitimates. May we meet your lovely princesses?"_**

**_Anko glanced at the princesses, finding their attention stolen. Tapping her foot, she broke them out of their dazes. "The four legitimate princes are Sakura, Ino, Tenten, and Hinata. Our lovely illegitimates are Ami and Karin. Go have fun, girls. Pick a partner."_**

**_Thus began the bonding of twelve individuals, for the first time repeated course of six years._**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Poise  
_The Second Ball_  
*Sakura's POV*

"The first step to becoming a princess, or at least looking the part, is poise. You must be up tall and strong, ready for anything, yet graceful at the same time." Anko's voice echoed in my mind as I sat elegantly in the chair in front of my vanity table. The room behind me was orderly and neat except for the chaotic swirl of princesses tearing it apart.

"Sakura-hime! Ami took my shoes..." Karin's wail forced me to look up. Sighing, I made my way over to my sisters and forced them apart. Opening my closet, I led Ami in to look at some silver shoes of mine, and she cooed her appreciation. "Saku-sama, what about me?" Karin's face took on a chibi expression, tears welling up and a pout finding its way onto her face.

"Karin-chan, I'll help you out. But stop pouting; it's unbecoming." I knew I sounded like Anko, but I didn't try to change my tone. Karin's long red hair trailed down her back, ending just below her shoulder blades. The fine ends slipped from my fingers as I picked them up.

"Karin-chan, please sit for me." Obediently, my younger sister sat in my vanity chair, and I went about tying up her hair. By the time I was done Karin had an elegant updo that was rivaled by few, and Ami had a sophisticated look in her purple hair, pinned up and twisted back to reveal her face. Facing my other sisters, I saw that everything was complete.

Hinata wore her hair down in the familiar, at-home style that was her trademark around Konoha, but her white-lavender dress brought out the best of her hair, and her eyes shone against her violet locks. Tenten's hair still retained a few braids, but the waist-length waves hung freely, cascading down her back and shining chestnut against her rose dress. Ino's blonde hair was in its regular ponytail, bright against her blue dress. It matched her blue eyes and brought out the platinum hints in her hair. Ami had, once again, donned a silver dress to rival her purple hair, and Karin wore a deep green dress that highlighted her red hair.

Looking down at myself, I sighed. My dress was gorgeous, but it was difficult to adjust. It was a floor-length gown of scarlet with black ribbon and ties. The sleeves were black fishnet, revealing pale triangles of skin, and my pink hair, left down, popped against it. Around my throat hung a gold chain with an emerald attached. The emerald set off my eyes to perfection and the gold chain marked me as a legitimate princess. Ino's gem was a sapphire, Tennie's was a brown riverstone, and Hinata's was a diamond. Karin wore a garnet on a silver chain, and Ami's was an amethyst on another silver chain.

Coming out of my world, I looked at the flurry of activity in the room and clapped my hands. Immediately, we lined up in highest ranking order. I was first, being the firstborn out of my three other twins; Ino followed me, along with Hinata and Tenten. After we lined up, Karin and Ami trailed behind us. I turned before we could leave the room. "This is our second ball. Let's remember the rules we've been taught since the beginning and impress these boys! Let's show them how poised Konoha's princesses are!" I stretched tall as I said that, and my sisters followed suit with a cheer. We held our heads up and remained poised and controlled as Anko swept into the room.

"Impeccable posture and poise control, my darlings. Let us adjourn to the ballroom; the princes are waiting for you." Anko was dressed in her red dress again, and she led us back to the same spot as the first time we went to the ball. The massive gilded doors opened inwards, and we held back our gasps again.

The room was, once again, filled with people of every nationality. Sound, Leaf, Water, Sand, and Wind were present, along with guest ambassadors hoping for a glimpse of the royals. They were lucky to be at this ball, I reflected as we stepped out.

The happy sound of chatter stopped as we walked to the center of the room. A breathless silence fell, and the princes met us in the center. They were arranged in a similar manner as us; the eldest led the group and they descended in age. Anko and Deidara met as well and formally greeted each other. I kept my eyes on them, but I wanted more than anything to look at my soon-to-be partner. His dark gaze burned into me, until I was sure that I could feel myself catching fire.

Anko took Deidara's proffered hand, and that was our cue. We fanned out on the silent command, and I finally was permitted to look at my partner. The sound of a violin playing graced the air, and I placed my hand in his. His other hand fell to my waist, and I blushed slightly, seeing his ears turn pink along the edges as well. "Sasuke-sama, it is a pleasure to see you again." I kept my tone formal as I spoke to him. The whole room was listening.

His eyes glinted with the knowledge that our world was watching us, and us alone. As the eldest legitimates, we were exemplary and expected to be almost flawless. "I have missed you, as well, Sakura-hime. The pleasure is mine." Such poetic words made my heart skip a beat, and the other royals, from Sound and Konoha, exchanged greetings as well. The violin began playing again, and I let myself go into the music.

After a few minutes, the crowd began to dance as well, and ceremony was forgotten in speech as the sounds of happiness and conversation grew louder. The song ended, and the music shifted to a slower tune to give our feet some rest. I was drawn closer to my partner, and I hid my blush. However, the close contact gave me the opportunity to speak into his ear. "Sasuke-kun, it's nice to dance with you again... nice to talk to you again. I missed you over this past year." I held my breath, waiting for him to answer me. While I waited, I saw my sisters enjoying themselves in similar fashions.

"Sakura, I am glad this ball is finally here. I can speak to you in person, as opposed to through blank words on paper. They hold no emotion. I can speak freely now." His dark eyes glinted affectionately, and he held me closer as the song ended again.

I was panting slightly by the time the third song was over; it had been a fast-paced tune, and my feet were getting tired. Sasuke noticed my breathing and gently pulled me off the dance floor, directing me towards the balcony. When we stepped out, the cool breeze fanned me softly, and I involuntarily shivered from moving so quickly between hot and cool temperatures. Sasuke was very perceptive for the age of 11. He put his arm over my shoulders, warming me, and pulled me closer to his side.

"Sasuke... I missed you." I turned to face him full-on, and wound my arms around his neck. He put his own arms around my waist, and I felt my eyes go wide. I hadn't expected such an affectionate gesture from the usually-stoic Sasuke. His head dropped onto my shoulder, and I felt my heart skip a beat. _What is this feeling? I feel warm... and I feel like I am weightless. I could walk on moonlight now._

"Did you miss me at all? We spent so much time getting to know one another last year that I felt as though I was missing a piece of myself when I wasn't with you. Did you feel the same way?" I knew I was pressing him, but he was the person I was to marry. We had been given these balls as a way of getting to know our future partners... I had been paired with Sasuke from birth. Hinata was to marry Naruto-sama, Ino was with Shikamaru-sama, and Tenten was to wed Neji-sama. Suigetsu and Karin were together, and Sasori was to wed Ami.

"Aa... I missed you, Sakura. It was annoying waiting for this." I stiffened, despite his words. A flashback consumed me.

_"Sasuke-kun! I'm Sakura, your chosen bride in a matter of years! I hope we like each other!" The boy made no comment at first, but then his black eyes narrowed. "Tch... I will never learn to love someone as annoying as this." He imperiously turned his back. I felt myself getting smaller... smaller..._

"Sakura!" Sasuke's anxious voice pierced my daze. My eyes fluttered open quickly, and I observed in mortification and bewilderment that I was on the ground, my upper body held up by Sasuke. "Sakura... are you all right?" His voice turned so gentle that I felt my heart, frozen from my memory, begin to melt.

"Sasuke...-kun...? Why... why am I on the floor?" I knew my green eyes were shining with bewilderment, mainly due to Sasuke's barely-perceptible tightening of his jaw. His eyes shone with concern, but I told myself it was just because I was his betrothed. It wasn't because he liked me. Arranged marriages weren't meant to be made for love.

"You don't remember?" His voice was soft, so soft that it was hard to read his emotions. His hair shaded his face enough that it was hard to make out his expression. Sasuke's arms tightened around me, then relaxed slightly, but continued to hold me close. "I told you that I missed you... that it was annoying waiting this long for this ball. That I didn't want to wait to see you for a year... and you collapsed. I could barely catch you." He lifted his head, affection and concern shining in his eyes. My heart stopped, then pounded so hard against my ribs that I was certain he could hear it. A touch of pink touched my cheek, but he didn't seem to notice. He was still looking into my eyes, and his hand pushed a renegade strand of pink hair behind my ear.

I couldn't help it. I hid my face against him. I didn't want to face the feeling in his eyes, after the embarrassment of what had just happened. I had fainted from a memory, and now I didn't feel like facing the one that had saved me from a painful meeting with the floor. But a voice in my mind spoke to me. _**Sakura-hime... you are the head princess. You set the example for all of them. You must be poised and show him that you are stronger than this. Sasuke-sama has been very gracious towards you in our time of weakness... but you must show him your strength to compensate for the weak tendency you just displayed. And if you ever wish to call on my counsel again, I am your Inner Self.**_

I heeded her wise words and stood, shaking imperceptibly. Sasuke stood as well, giving me a look of respect, and I held myself tall, my poised control taking over again. "It has been good to talk to you in the open, free air, Sasuke-kun... Shall we withdraw, so as not to worry any of our guests?" He chuckled and nodded, holding his arm out chivalrously. "Also, may I have this dance?" Another nod from him, and we adjourned indoors.

The song playing ended as we stepped, tall and proud, through the balcony doors. A slow waltz began, and I faced him with a challenge in my eyes. His smirk told me that he accepted._ Inner, give me strength to show him that I am not weak._ A burst of confidence filled me, and we began dancing where we left off.

Later, the guests had filtered out, but we, the royals, along with our guards, Anko and Deidara, remained. I stood in a familiar position before Sasuke, facing him and smiling. I knew my eyes were soft as I repeated the royal words. "It was a pleasure to see you. I will look forward to meeting you next year." As we drew closer, he whispered in my ear.

"Please, I cannot last a year without hearing from you. Tell your governess that you wish to set an example by getting to know your future husband better through letters." Coming out of my curtsy and his bow, he smiled and kissed my hand. A blush rushed to my cheeks. "The pleasure was all mine, Sakura. I look forward to seeing you again." His last words were only for me, but my sisters heard them and sighed dreamily.

With that, Anko led us in our troupe back to the throne room. I filed out the door last, exchanging one last look with Sasuke, who also seemed reluctant to leave, before Anko barked at me to stop loitering. A blush colored my cheeks as I thought of the pressure of his hands on my waist and the gentleness with which he treated me. _I cannot wait until next year's ball._


End file.
